Car-coupling



' (NoMode1.)'

L. In. HOOPE R. GAR COUPLING.

No. 293,466; Pate nted Feb. 12, 1884 llNiTED STATES PATENT Fries.

LORENZO D. HOOPER, OF COFFEYVILLE, KANSAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 293,466, dated February 12, 1884.

Application filed September 6, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LORENZO D. Hbornn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at CoffeyVille, in the county of Montgomery and Stateof Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Oouplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to automatic cancouplers which are adapted to be operated for uncoupling without entering between cars-as,

for instance, from the top of a car or from a position alongside the track. a

The invention consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of devices, which will be fully understood from the following particular description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a carcoupler constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the same. Fig. 3 is a view of the tumbler and its pin detached from the drawhead;

The letter A indicates a draw-head, which is hollow, and approximately rectangular in cross-section, with a flaring mouth or open front end, the rear end being closed and attached to the draw-bar B, which may be secured to a car in any ordinary manner. The head A is preferably cast in one piece with the draw'bar. Transversely in the upper front portion of the draw-head is pivoted a tumblerplate, 0, which inclines rearwardly and downwardly from its pivot. From the center of the front surface of the tumbler-plate 0 projects an inclined frog or rib, 1), having a heel, d,

which projects belowthe edge of the tumbler plate and normally rests upon the bottom of the draw-head; From the rear surface and near the lower edge of the turnbler-plate rises an arc-shaped hollow lug, E, which extends upward through a slot oro'pening in the top of the draw-head, and is provided with a rib, e, on its rear surface. Longitudinally through the lug E is arranged a straight pin, F, proslot, and when this head rests upon the top of the lug E the tip or lower end of the pin proj ects through a hole in the bottom of the drawhead, just behind the heel d of the frog D. An arched bar, G, extends across the top of the draw-head, passing through the slit inthe head f of pin F, and having its legs pivoted to the opposite sides of the draw-head by means of the projecting ends of the pivot -pin of the tumbler-plate. The legs of this arched bar are extended beyond their pivotal points, as shown at g, and bent so that theydepend vertically in rear of the front end of the drawhead when the arched portion of the bar lies back, when the pin F is down. This pin has an elongated notch or slot in its back between two shoulders, s s, and transversely through this notch passes a pin, 1), which is secured through the lug E. The elongated notch allows the pin Facertain longitudinal play, but the lower shoulder, s, by striking the pin p, prevents the said pin F from slipping upward out of the lug E. The rib e of the lug E is notched or slitted transversely at t, and upon the top of the draw-head is pivoted a latch, g, which may be engaged in the slit for holding upon the tumbler-plate and pin F, when it is desired to throw the coupler out of operation for the usual purposes.

Suitable cords,'k, as shown in dotted lines, may be attached to the extensions g of the legs of arched bar G, and extended to the top of the car, or through suitable guides to one or both sides thereof, so that by drawing on said cord or cords the extensions g may be swung rearward and the arched bar G caused to rise and lift the pin F first, and then the tumblerplate 0 and its frog, when the lower shoulder, s, strikes pin 19, so as to allow the couplinglink L to escape for uncoupling two cars.

It will be seen that the lower edge of the tuinbler-plateG stands directly above the rear end of the link L, and thus holds the link in a horizontal position,'so that its outer end will enter another coupling. In entering a drawhead the end of a linkwill strike the inclined rib or frog D and raise it, the tumbler-plate, and pin F, so that the entering end of the link will pass behind the heel d and strike the pin F, which will then be in an inclined position,

vided with a head, f, having a rearwardly-open against the tumbler-plate and the oth or against and also slip behind the pin, which, with the tumbler-plate, will then fall and engage the link.

Itwill be noticed that the pin F, when down, stands at right angles to the line of draft, and moves in a rightline. WVhen first lifted by the arched bar G, it moves independently of the tumbler-plate until it escapes from the link, and just as it escapes the shoulders strikes the pin 1) and lifts the tumbler-plate, so that the heel d escapes from the link before the latter has time to be drawn forward against it. Thus I obviate the necessity for slackening or run ning back the link to permit the heel to escape, as would otherwise be the case, owing to the fact that said heel must, move rearward] y in rising.

I preferablysurround the lug Ewith a light spiral spring at o, one end of which bears the top of the draw-head. This spring prevents the tumbler-plate from bounding upward, owing to the jarring of the cars while running. The rear wall of the draw-head holds the link forward, so that it will properly enter and operate the locking devices of another coupling.

It is a special advantage of my improved coupler that, if a car is thrown off the track and tilts or upsets, the consequent twisting or with notched rib e, of the latch q,

turning of the link causes it to raise the tumbler-plate and assume an edgwise oblique 130 I sition, resulting in its disengagement from the having its legs pivoted to the opposite sides of the draw-head, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the draw-head, pivoted tumbler-plate having hollow lug- E, and sliding pin F, having slitted headf, of the arched bar G, engaging said head and having its legs pivoted to the opposite sides of the draw-head,and provided with the extensions substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 3. The combination, with the draw-head and inclined tumbler-plate having lug E, provided arranged to engage said rib, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LORENZO D. HOOPER. Vitnesses: V

J. llIOCREARY, T. C. HARBOURT. 

